Local boys Montero kicked off the evening in fine style. The six-piece play the type of psychedelic pop that wraps itself around you like a blanket and takes you somewhere you’ve never been before. With lengthy tracks like “Orchid” and “Mumbai” that really stretch out and take their time, Montero is a great band to simply close your eyes and go with. With a rich keyboard sound influenced by the likes of Richard Wright from Pink Floyd, this was a great way to start the night.
American musician/performance artist Geneva Jacuzzi was next. Wearing a striking skeleton body stocking with a cape, with musical backing from her iPod, she proceeded to display a rather interpretive dance and vocal style for the next twenty minutes, much to the bemusement of the gathering crowd. This was a short set in which she didn’t overstay her welcome. More on that later.
Lost Animal created a great sound from the side stage at The Corner. Ostensibly a two piece, they were augmented with guitar and bongos in tonight’s performance. Displaying a wide and varied source of inspiration, such as Krautrock and even a bit of an Oriental influence that was reminiscent of Japanese composer Ryuchi Sakamoto, Lost Animal were a very unpredictable and highly enjoyable way to prepare for the main act.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, led by Mr Pink himself (AKA Ariel Marcus Rosenberg) hit the stage to a thunderous applause from the packed crowd. The band could be best describe as a musical middle ground between the soft and hard sides of psychadelia, with a totally now spin to it. The five-piece, tight as the proverbial, create this incredibly haunting and beautiful music that takes you right out of your body.
Tonight featured a great set list from the band including sensational tracks like “Fright Night”, “Time Warp” and “Menopause Man”. However, the more well-known songs, such as “Round And Round” and “Bright Lit Blue Sky” came up an absolute treat on a live front, making the crowd giggle and smile like they were still teenagers.
Ariel Pink has a weird, off kilter but beguiling presence on stage. He really was the conductor of both the band and the crowd; the one with the vision. Looking like the long lost American twin of Vince Noir from The Mighty Boosh, he cuts a striking figure on stage.
The encore climaxed with a startling and powerful version of “Helen”. This is where the fly flew into the ointment of what had been an excellent night. Ms Jacuzzi, obviously a friend of the band, invaded the stage during their set. Seemingly under the influence of something, she proceeded to throw herself around the stage while the band was playing, nearly knocking over speaker stacks and keyboards. This proved to be highly annoying and incredibly distracting, as it took the listener totally out of the incredible sound scape and head space that Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti had created that night.
Overall, this was one of those beautiful nights where all of the acts, both supports and main, had a wonderful symmetry, complimenting each other beautifully, really taking the crowd on a trip. A fantastic way to end the week.
– Neil Evans
